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Mercedes-Benz
This article is about the 1926-1939 and 1954/55 team. For the team which competed as Mercedes GP from 2010-2013, see Mercedes GP. For Mercedes engines see Mercedes (Engine Supplier). Mercedes |image = |Full Name = Daimler Benz AG |Founder(s) = Gottlieb Daimler Karl Benz |Noted Staff = Alfred Neubauer Max Sailer |Noted Drivers = Rudolf Caracciola Juan Manuel Fangio |years = - |debut = 1954 French Grand Prix |Races Competed = 12 |Drivers' Championships = 2 ( , ) |wins = 9 |Poles = 8 |Fastest Laps = 9 |Final race = 1955 Italian Grand Prix |years2 = 1935-1939 |debut2 = 1935 Belgian Grand Prix |Races Competed2 = 21 |Championships2 = 3 (1935, 1937, 1938) |wins2 = 14 |Poles2 = 11 |Fastest Laps2 = 8 |Final race2 = 1939 Swiss Grand Prix}} Mercedes-Benz was a Grand Prix racing team and later a Formula One constructor from 1954 to 1955. The team won three European Championships with Rudolf Caracciola and two Formula One Drivers' Championships with Juan Manuel Fangio. Mercedes-Benz withdrew from motor racing in response to the 1955 Le Mans disaster. Mercedes-Benz returned with a factory team in 2010. History Origins The two companies which were merged to form the Mercedes-Benz brand in 1926 had both already enjoyed success in the new sport of motor racing throughout their separate histories. A single Benz competed in the world's first motor race, the 1894 Paris–Rouen, where Émile Roger finished 14th in 10 hours 1 minute. The Mercedes Simplex of 1902, built by DMG, was Mercedes' first purpose built race car — much lower than their usual designs — which were similar to horse carriages; that model dominated racing for years. In 1914, just before the beginning of the First World War, the DMG Mercedes 35 hp won the 1914 French Grand Prix, finishing 1-2-3. Benz was involved in Grand Prix motor racing from 1923, when the Benz Tropfenwagen (described as having a teardrop shape) was introduced to motorsport at the 1923 European Grand Prix at Monza. These, the brainchild of Benz chief engineer Hans Nibel, were inspired by the Rumpler Tropfenwagen and were intended to increase public acceptance of mid-engined cars. They resembled the later Auto Unions (also built in part by Rumpler engineers), and used the virtually unchanged Rumpler chassis. European Championship Mercedes-Benz formerly competed in Grand Prix motor racing in the 1930s, when the Silver Arrows dominated the races alongside rivals Auto Union. The colour of the cars, which was later to become legendary, was unintentional - they had initially been painted white as was traditional for German cars, but the paint was stripped away to reduce weight. Both teams were heavily funded by the Nazi regime, winning all European Grand Prix Championships after 1932, of which Rudolf Caracciola won three for the Mercedes-Benz team. The team was guided by the great Rennleiter (racing team manager) Alfred Neubauer until the company ceased racing at the start of the Second World War. Formula One 1954 - 1955 In 1954 Mercedes-Benz returned to what was now known as Formula One racing (a World championship having been established in 1950), using the technologically advanced Mercedes-Benz W196 which was run in both open-wheeled and streamlined forms. Juan Manuel Fangio, a previous champion (1951) transferred mid-season from Maserati to Mercedes-Benz for their debut at the French Grand Prix on 4 July 1954. The team had immediate success and recorded a 1-2 victory with Fangio and Karl Kling, as well as the fastest lap (Hans Herrmann). Fangio went on to win three more races in 1954, winning the Championship. The success continued into the 1955 season, where the same car was used again. The team's drivers, Fangio and the young Stirling Moss, won 6 of the 9 rounds between them, and finished first and second in that year's championship. The 1955 disaster at the 24 Hours of Le Mans on 11 June, which killed Mercedes-Benz sportscar driver Pierre Levegh and more than 80 spectators led to the cancellations of the French, German, Spanish, and Swiss Grands Prix. At the end of the season, the team withdrew from motor sport, including Formula One. Moss 1955 Aintree.jpg|Moss at the 1955 British GP Complete Grand Prix results Complete European Championship results (key) (results in bold indicate pole position, results in italics indicate fastest lap) † Von Brauchitsch took over Fagioli's car after his own retired. †† After Caracciola's car developed mechanical problems, he gave up and Fagioli took over as his car had already retired. ‡ Caracciola took over Lang's car after his own retired. Lang then took over von Brauchitsch's car. Caracciola retired Lang's car and then took over Fagioli's car. ‡‡ Fagioli took over Lang's car after his own retired. ↑ Lang's car developed a problem and was handed over to reserve driver Walter Bäumer. Caracciola fell ill and handed his car over to Lang. ↑↑ Lang got glass in his eye after his goggles were smashed by a stone. His car was taken over by reserve driver Walter Bäumer. ↓ Caracciola was burnt by leaking exhaust and handed his car over to von Brauchitsch, who later handed it back after suffering the same problem. Complete Formula One results (key) (results in bold indicate pole position, results in italics indicate fastest lap) Note: Constructors' Championship not awarded until . * – Indicates shared drive. * – Indicates streamlined version used. References #https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_in_motorsport #https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercedes-Benz_in_Formula_One #http://www.statsf1.com/en/mercedes.aspx Category:Formula One Constructors Category:Teams Category:German Teams